Parcel carrier



Dec. 8, 1931.

J. L. BALDWHN PARCEL CARRXER 'Filed Jan. 27, 1931 Patented Dec. 8, 1931 4 UNITED STATES;

JAMES LBALDWIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS PARCEL CARRIER YApplication.,111136. January 27, 1931. Serial No. 511,637. Y

My invention relates to parcel'V carriers using an overhead wire track, and is an improvement over my Patent #1,165,565, dated Dec. 28, 1915, my present objectbeing to provide a carrier whi-ch automatically re leases the parcel for. discharge when it reaches its destination.

A further obj ect ofthe invention is to design the novel carrier with an inclined Hoor and a discharge gate forward thereof, Whereby the parcel may at all times bear against the gatefor immediatetdischarge Ywhen the latter is released.

A still furtherobject of the inventionis t5 to provide a system of carrier lines with sending stations at various points, the lines converging toward ak single zone of destination, whereby parcels fromY different points may all be discharged into a corresponding number of receptacles at such Vzone. Y

With the above objects in view and any others that may suggest themselves from the specification and claims ptojfollow, a better u understanding of the invention maybe had by reference tothe accompanying' drawings,

in whichf Fig. 1 is an elevation ofthe novel parcel carrier in the zone of its Vsending station, and i also showing a receiving sta-tion equipped im for a multiple system of lines of the-type referred'to; Y Y

Fig. 2 isa section on'ithe line Q-Qof Fig'. 1'; and l f y Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragment of a vital 3" element shown in Fig. 1. e x Y While the' novel carrier is applicable to many situations where a direct sending line isv desired, I have' designed it more particu- Y larly for 'use inf laundries. Owing to the necessity of carrying the identity of a batch or bundle of laundry throughout itscourse,

it is preferable that such batch or bundle'be constituted Vas; a parcel with the contents carried in a cloth bag to which anvidentid@ fying tag is secured. Parcels of this kind may be sent from variousv sources in the Vlaundry to a common point, such as for the ironing of the contents, and this I accomplish A by running lines from the sending points to te @he ronngrzorne or other department of the Vgouged tofseat the roller 2201as clearly shown laundry, thus eliminating the necessity of trips by theh'elp across the floor to collect parcels from time to time for the ironing` department. e f

In carrying out the invention, l provide a simple tray in which the parcel 11 is deposited, the tray being suspended from a carrier 12s The latteris designed along the lines illustrated in Fig. lof my patent referred to, and has applied to 'its base a rugged frame 13 to which is rigidlysecured the tray,the latter being fully accessible from the sides. The-carrier base further receives a bracket 14, the latter andthe frame being secured to the base bya bolt 15; the bracket is further secured to the base at 16.

The bracket 14 has pivoted to it at 14a a depending arm 16a to whichV a transverse plate 17 is secured, the latter serving as the gate for the tray 10 by depending into the forward end thereof. The tray 10 is inclined, as shown, and its inner surface is polished, so' that the parcel 11 slides by gravity to the forward end of the tray, being barred from further motion by the gate 1T.

In the head 146 of the bracket 14 'is' hori-l Zontallyslidableasquare rod 18 which carries a downwardly directeddetent 19. On the rear side of the head 14?) the rod carries` a light spring 20, while in front itcarriesvso' a shorter and stiffer spring 21; and theforward end of the .rod has a rubberhead 18a. The rear part of the bracketalso has a guide for the rear portion ofthe rod. The de*V tent terminates over a roller 22a llooselyV 85 mounted on a cross pin 22, the latter being i carried by 1an extension 23 of the arm 16a forward of the pivot 14a. y

The lower end of the detent 19'is slightlyV 0.. in' Fig. 3, this condition ,locking the gate 17 in the normal position shown, since the detent prevents the'rise. of theeXtension 23 Eof the gate arm 16a. Howeverywhen the car@ rier is-sent'out and reachesits destination, 95"

the cushion head Y18a ofthe rod 18 strikes a bumper plateL 24 carried by a' hanger or post y 25 at the-destination terminal of the wire traclr', causing the rod 185 t'orecede and vcarry the detent 19awayfroni the v-rollerQQd; 100

compressing the spring 20. The front end of the tray l0 is new over a receptacle 27 carried by the hanger 23, and the pressure of the parcel 11 pushes the gate 17 open, causing the parcel to be discharged and to fall into the receptacle 27. It will be noted that the gate is so suspended as to meet no resistanceafter released by the detent l9-when pushed by the parcel, so that l need no mechanism or other expedient to secure the discharge of the parcel than the reaching of the destination by the carrier. rlhe spring 2O and the rod 1S ordinarily cushion the shock of the impact with the bumper plate 24, but when the impact is greater and the rod recedes further, its head meets the stiffer spring 21, which takes up the excess shock. The track wire is more elevated at the destination than at the sending point, whereby to cause the carrier to return of itself.

It will be seen that the novel apparatus described above furnishes a simple and quick method of delivering parcels and procuring the automatic return of the carrier. Also, by the use of the single rod 18, I provide for both the shock absorbing element of the carrier and the gate releasing` device therefor. The light spring 2O readily yields to the detent 19 the instant the rod strikes the bumper plate, permitting the parcel to push the gate open. Also, the detent acts as quickly to lock the gate again, when the parcel has dropped out of the tray. The Obliquity of the latter assures the maintenance of the parcel in a frontal position at all times, whereby to procure its own discharge when the carrier meets the destination. It is therefore seen that the apparatus ofthe tray and its control is a simple and efficient appendage for the carrier, and fully serves the purposes for which it is intended.

I claim 1. A parcel delivery apparatus comprising a carrier disposed for travel along a track from a point of origin to one of destination, a parcel tray suspended from the carrier and having its bottom inclined in the direction of the destination, a barrier for the tray contents at the forward end of the tray, a lock normally effective on the barrier, a bumper element at the point of destination. and a resilient impact element projected frontally from the carrier, said impact element releasing the barrier when meeting said bumper element. y

2. A parcel delivery apparatus comprising a carrier disposed for travel along a track from a point of origin to one of destination` a parcel tray suspended from the carrier and adapted to discharge at one end, a pivoted closure for the latter, an extension of the closure beyond the pivot, a rod suspended from the carrier and adapted to recede when the latter reaches the destination, and a detent carried by the rod and normally locking said extension to prevent the opening of the closure, the recession of the rod releasing the extension.

3. The structure of claim Q, said extension being substantially horizontal, and said dctent depending in a substantially vertical course to abut the extension with its lower end.

l. The structure of claim 2, said extension being substantially horizontal, and a roller carried by the extension in the region of its outer end, said detent depending in a substantially vertical course and having its lower end gouged to seat the roller.

5. A parcel delivery apparatus comprising a carrier disposed for travel along a track from a point of origin to one of destination, a bracket attached to the carrier, a rod slidable in the bracket in the course of travel, a frontal projection of the rod serving as an impact element with a Abumper at the point of destination, a parcel tray suspended from the carrier, a closure for said tray, and a detent normally locking said closure and releasing the same when the impact occurs.

6. The structure of claim 5, bearings carried by said bracket for the rod and spaced longitudinally thereof, and said detent being carried by the rod back of the frontal bearing.

7. The structure of claim 5, said frontal projection having a cushion head, and a spring to normally maintain the projection in forward position.

8. The structure of claim 5, bearings carried by said bracket for the rod and spaced longitudinally thereof, said detent being car` ried by the rod back of the frontal bearing, and a compression spring carried by the rod between the detent and the bearing next to the rear thereof and adapted to restore the detent to closure-locking position after the impact has occurred.

9. The structure of claim 5, bearings carried by said bracket for the rod and spaced longitudinally thereof, said detent being carried by the rod back of the frontal bearing, a compression spring carried by the rod between the detent and the bearing next to the rear thereof and adapted to restore the detent to closure-locking position after the impact has occurred, and a spring carried by the rod forward of the frontal bearing, this spring having a greater compression resistance.

in testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JAMES L. BALDWIN. 

